


Gardenia

by Epitumbidia



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Family Fluff, Gen, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 14:32:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11830725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Epitumbidia/pseuds/Epitumbidia
Summary: A trip back to the orphanage & Squall reminisces on memories with his sister over a field of flowers.Written for #squallweek, Day 1: Family Time





	Gardenia

Walking into the orphanage never stopped being a trip to Squall.

The first time he came here as a young adult, it was under the duress of war against Galbaldia. He didn’t have the time or energy to reminisce on lost memories. The price of using GFs was one he was willing to pay so long as he could do his job. Standing at the entrance now, five years after the fact, made him take notice. The broken and decrepit pillars would no longer be used for hide and seek, as he spent many childhood days playing with his fellow foster mates. The gray of the stone architecture reminded him of the cloudy sky that often covered the Centra region; the stillness of it all both calmed and panicked young Squall, especially during the long summer days.

Squall felt a soft, warm hand on his; turning to his right, he saw his sister, her eyes turned down. Even if he couldn’t look into her eyes, she radiated regret. Ellone always tried to project an air of authority, even if softened by her kind tone; in Squall’s eyes, however, she was _Sis_ , his protector from the world outside the orphanage. He clung to Ellone, knowing she would always protect him from the never-ending storm that was life and growing up without a familial identity to call his own.

Until she wasn’t—until she was ripped from his grasp.

Ellone pulled him towards the field of flowers, that special place where he made his vow to Rinoa to always be her knight. It was hard to stand there now with the one person he would’ve given anything to protect as a child. Ellone went through so much pain because of sorceress past, yet he finds himself dutifully bound to another. Would she approve of his choice? Did she even _need_ to know at all?

“Squall, isn’t this such a beautiful site?”

Ellone’s question brought him out of his thoughts, thankful for her presence which prevented him from spiraling into brooding once more. Seeing her now bent down to look closer at the flowers, Squall joins her and picks out the first flower that catches his eye. A white flower shined in his eyes, the sun reflecting off its waxy petals. _Gardenia_ , Squall thought to himself, going back over the meanings in his head.

Ever since the return from Time Compression, Squall dived into studying botany and floriculture. He remembered how happy, how sure in himself he felt when Rinoa and him stood there together. From that moment on, he wanted something to learn about flowers, to share their beauty with others; though some may see the commander of SeeD studying flowers as frivolous or even beneath him, they were something that tied him to the present.

Picking the gardenia carefully, Squall held it up to check its condition. Its petals were immaculate, so pure white that it nearly looked translucent. He brings the flower up to his nose, checking the scent, as warm as the sun that was currently hiding behind the overcast sky.

Warmth, trust, protection, and joy: Everything that Sis means to him.

“Hey Sis, look over here a sec,” Squall said, breaking a comfortable silence that had settled between them.

Ellone turned to her left to look at him, only to be greeted by the gardenia. She felt slightly startled, but once she actually looked at the flower, her smile glowed. He pushes her hair back to place the gardenia between her earlobe and her head, breaking out a rare smile he saves for moments like these.

Quiet, small moments where words wouldn’t convey the depth of his feelings in that moment. Here with Sis, it’s a small moment that bridges the past and the present between them. But it’s one that they both cherish.

“Squall…after today, do you want to come back home with me?” Ellone asks, her voice barely above a whisper.    

“Hmm? Home?” Squall asked, wondering what she could be talking about; as far as he knew, this was home. She turned away from him, looking back away from the field, outside of the orphanage altogether. He was going to ask what she meant again, but then he saw her expression: longing and wistful, as though she was lost inside her own memories.

That’s when it hit Squall: _Winhill_. She wanted to go back home, to _her_ home.

The memories that Ellone shared with him during their separation flashed across their mind, the rural town comforting in its peaceful silence. Away from the noise of the Garden and the more modern cities, Squall understood why the place meant so much to Ellone. It was the only peaceful time she's ever known prior to the end of the war.

And there was another reason, one that didn’t miss Squall’s notice: Ellone wanted him to meet Raine…or the remnants of her life, her memory. Reaching out to her, Squall held her hand; Ellone shivers slightly as she’s brought out of her reverie.

Looking back at him, Squall squeezed her hand tightly and answered her: “Yeah Sis, let’s go home.”

**Author's Note:**

> I can't get enough of Loire family feels. I swear Laguna was going to be a part of this fic, but my brain went 'Nah' at that, LOL.


End file.
